To a New Land
by ariekain
Summary: The Von Trapp family is embarking on a dangerous journey to America. Their experiences are related here.
1. Chapter One: Making of Plans

To a New Land

Chapter One: Making of Plans

Clamoring sounds and music filled the room. The Von Trapp family was backstage making final preparations to leave the country and escape to America. However, before entering America, they would stop in Paris, France. Once there, they planned on staying temporarily wtih Georg's former fiancee, Elsa Schraeder. Before any of this could happen, they had to escape from Austria. Georg paced the room, anxiously awaiting his friend Max Detweiler to come and inform him that it w as safe to leave the performance hall they were in.

As Georg paced back and forth, Maria watched him with concern. "Georg, do not worry. Your friend Max will come through for us. Our God will protect us."

Georg looked ack at her, wishing he could believe her. He trusted Max Detweiler, but at the present time, feelings of nervousness and fear caused him to doubt his friend, and even his wife. He wished he could share Maria's confidence.

Marta, one of seven children, looked at her father. "Will Herr Detweiler come, Father? How will he help us escape"

Georg forced a smile as he looked at his young daughter. "Herr Detweiler will come for us, Marta. I trust him, and I know he will not let us down." As he spoke, he looked at Maria. Behind the confidence he saw in her eyes, he saw a hint of fear. He reached out his hand to hers and grasped it. His eyes warmed with love as he looked at her. She was the love of his life, and without her, he would feel so incomplete.

At that moment, Max came running towards them. "All right, Von Trapps. Now is the time for you to make your escape. When we leave, we will not use your car, because it will cause too much sound. I will go with you to the train terminal, which is where we will part."

Georg nodded at Max. "We are ready and will follow you, friend."

The Von Trapp family followed Max outside to the road that lead to the train terminal.

Chapter Two

Once outside, the Von Trapps and Max began to walk along the darkened road. As Maria walked along, she began to shake with shivers that had only partly to do with the cold. An uncharacteristic fear had taken her, and would not let go. She unintentially began to drop behind the others.

Brigitta, catching up to her father, tugged on his sleeve.

Georg turned to look at her. "What is it, Brigitta" he asked as he pushed the car along.

"Mother looks like she needs help." replied Brigitta.

Georg glanced behind, and saw Maria walking slowly by herself. He dropped behind, and began walking towards her.

When she saw her husband coming, Maria silently willed him not to come closer. She called softly out to him" No, go back, Georg. See to our children. They need you more than I do."

Ignoring what she had said, he came closer, until he was right in front of her. "Maria, my love, are you all right" he asked gently.

"Yes, Georg, I am. Go back. Our children need to know you're there, Georg. Go to them; I am all right." Maria replied.

"No, my duty as a husband is to see to your welfare. I am sorry if our situation has caused me to neglect you. I will stay here, with you." Having seen Maria's shivers, Georg removed his coat, and gave it to Maria. "This shall help against the chill."

"But, Georg, will you be all right" asked Maria anxiously.

"I assure you, I have been in worse weather than this before. You need it more than I."

Maria and Georg fell silent, and the strange procession continued down the road, until the train terminal loomed into view. The Von Trapps and Max headed inside to where the ticket kiosks were.

"Nine tickets to Geneva, Switzerland, please." said Georg, handing over the correct amount of money to the ticket seller.

"Have a successful journey. Your train arrives at midnight and leaves shortly after." said the seller.

The Von Trapps were directed to a waiting area, where they said their final farewells to Max. "Thank you for everything you have done for us. We owe you our lives. Good-bye, and God bless you, Max." said Maria.

Before sitting down next to his wife, he said"I know I cannot repay you at this time, but I promise you, I will someday."

"Ah, don't worry about it, Georg. It was the least I could do. I'll be seeing you." Max grinned at his friends and left.

The Von Trapps waved half-heartedly as their friend disappeared. Now they were alone, anticipating the dangerous journey they were about to embark on. Rather than sit around waiting for the train, Georg got up and went to the nearest phone. He dialed the number of his former fiancee, Elsa Schraeder. He had to confirm the arrangements they had made for his family to stay with her once they reached Paris, France before taking a ship to America.

While her husband was talking with Elsa, Maria was kneeling in a corner, praying for a safe journey for her and her family. She whispered over and over"Father, please keep us safe wherever You decide to send us." She believed with all her heart that her Father would protect her family.


	2. Chapter Two: Dark of Night

Chapter Two: Dark of Night

Once outside, the Von Trapps and Max began to walk along the darkened road. As Maria walked along, she began to shake with shivers that had only partly to do with the cold. An uncharacteristic fear had taken her, and would not let go. She unintentially began to drop behind the others.

Brigitta, catching up to her father, tugged on his sleeve.

Georg turned to look at her. "What is it, Brigitta" he asked as he pushed the car along.

"Mother looks like she needs help." replied Brigitta.

Georg glanced behind, and saw Maria walking slowly by herself. He dropped behind, and began walking towards her.

When she saw her husband coming, Maria silently willed him not to come closer. She called softly out to him" No, go back, Georg. See to our children. They need you more than I do."

Ignoring what she had said, he came closer, until he was right in front of her. "Maria, my love, are you all right" he asked gently.

"Yes, Georg, I am. Go back. Our children need to know you're there, Georg. Go to them; I am all right." Maria replied.

"No, my duty as a husband is to see to your welfare. I am sorry if our situation has caused me to neglect you. I will stay here, with you." Having seen Maria's shivers, Georg removed his coat, and gave it to Maria. "This shall help against the chill."

"But, Georg, will you be all right" asked Maria anxiously.

"I assure you, I have been in worse weather than this before. You need it more than I."

Maria and Georg fell silent, and the strange procession continued down the road, until the train terminal loomed into view. The Von Trapps and Max headed inside to where the ticket kiosks were.

"Nine tickets to Geneva, Switzerland, please." said Georg, handing over the correct amount of money to the ticket seller.

"Have a successful journey. Your train arrives at midnight and leaves shortly after." said the seller.

The Von Trapps were directed to a waiting area, where they said their final farewells to Max. "Thank you for everything you have done for us. We owe you our lives. Good-bye, and God bless you, Max." said Maria.

Before sitting down next to his wife, he said"I know I cannot repay you at this time, but I promise you, I will someday."

"Ah, don't worry about it, Georg. It was the least I could do. I'll be seeing you." Max grinned at his friends and left.

The Von Trapps waved half-heartedly as their friend disappeared. Now they were alone, anticipating the dangerous journey they were about to embark on. Rather than sit around waiting for the train, Georg got up and went to the nearest phone. He dialed the number of his former fiancee, Elsa Schraeder. He had to confirm the arrangements they had made for his family to stay with her once they reached Paris, France before taking a ship to America.

While her husband was talking with Elsa, Maria was kneeling in a corner, praying for a safe journey for her and her family. She whispered over and over"Father, please keep us safe wherever You decide to send us." She believed with all her heart that her Father would protect her family.


	3. Chapter Three: Farewell

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad you like my story. I apologize for any errors I have made in Chapters 1 and 2 and also any I overlooked in this new chapter. I hope you don't mind the continual references to God. It's just that I don't think I can omit them. I really hope you don't mind. Enjoy this chapter, and please review.

Chapter Three: Farewell

Hanging up the phone, Georg walked back to his family. Gazing around the waiting area, he saw that his and Maria's children were keeping themselves occupied in one corner of the room. He looked over and Maria and saw that she was kneeling in another corner praying. He smiled slightly as he watched her. She was a very devout woman, mainly because she had been raised in the Nonnberg Abbey. Georg saw constant examples of her deep-rooted faith in everything she did. Sometimes, he wished he had as much faith as he did.

Finishing her prayer, Maria became aware that Georg was watching her. She smiled, and stood up from where she knelt and approached her husband. "I was praying," she stated simply.

"Yes, I saw. Maria, it is now close to midnight; our train will be coming soon. We must prepare to board. What is this? Our children seem to have fallen asleep. We have to rouse them." Having said this, Georg started towards his and Maria's children.

Maria stood there, transfixed, as she realized what Georg had said. He had called his children 'our children', as in both of theirs. She suddenly felt a strange but not unwelcome warmth filling her. Her husband had never used that term before, and now his saying it made her very happy. But now, she realized, this was a serious moment, so she put aside her ecstatic feelings and began to awaken her children. "Come, Liesl, Friedrich. We must go. Marta, Brigitta, wake up."

The children, who were now awake, looked around the station, before they remembered where they were. Their parents anxiously directed them to the platform where their train would come. Soon, the train, emblazoned with a large sign with its number on it, pulled into the station. Georg and Maria led their children onto the train and found seats in the middle section. When the conductor came by collecting tickets, Georg handed him the ones belonging to his family and tried to relax and not worry about the dangers of the journey that they were undertaking. Suddenly, unwanted doubts began clouding his mind. It seemed to him that he was swimming in a deep sea of fears. Then, just as he felt he would sink beneath the weight of his panicked thoughts, a voice cut through his ocean of despondency.

"Georg? Are you all right" asked Maria, concern evident on her face. "You look ill."

Awoken from his momentary lapse of courage, Georg turned to his wife and smiled. "I am all right. We are on our way and I know we'll make it to America together." Just seeing her face and her smile dispelled his fears. He knew they would be all right.

"Yes, I know we will. Our Father will bring us to our new home." replied Maria, smiling confidently at her beloved Georg. After awhile, she fell asleep, her head resting on his shoulder and began to dream of the new land they were journeying to.

While Maria slept, Georg thought of his homeland that he was being forced to leave. Yes, forced. Forced by the Germans that he so hated. The mere thought of them overrunning his country made him grind his teeth. Finally, he grew so incensed that he made himself push the thoughts out of his mind. Instead, he began thinking of his children. How brave they were, never once complaining or being afraid as he and Maria led them to a place where they would be without a single friend. They were so trusting, he thought. His children were the literal loves of his life, along with his wife. He had known love before, but never love like the one he experienced now. A smile came on his face as he watched Maria sleep. His thoughts as he fell into the land of slumber were of his beloved Maria.


	4. Chapter Four: A Bitter Parting

Chapter Four

Author's Note: Hello, AiStar223 here! Here's the fourth chapter! I sincerely hope you enjoy it. I worked hard on it! Things in this chapter get a little more serious, and something terrible happens to Maria. I'll start work on the fifth chapter right away, so don't worry! Thank you sooooooooo much for the reviews! Please review this next chapter also! Enjoy!

Chapter Four: A Bitter Parting

Maria walked through a misty room. She saw Georg waiting for her with a smile on his face. She was about to run to him, when a sudden crashing noise interrupted her dream. Looking around, she saw that the train had appeared to have stopped. Then, the unthinkable happened. The door crashed open, and several Nazis stepped in. "This.. This cannot be happening.," she whispered, as she turned to Georg. "Georg! Please wake up! Georg"

As Georg slept, dreaming of Austria, he heard Maria's clear voice calling his name. His eyes snapped open, as he looked around for Maria and saw her in the grip of a Nazi soldier. "No! Maria" he shouted, rushing towards her. Suddenly, he found himself on the floor, waves of pain coursing through him. One of the soldiers had punched him, pushing him to the floor. He had no choice but to watch as Maria was dragged off the train by one of the Nazis. Georg was dimly aware of the Nazis removing some of the other passengers from the train, but all he could think of was his Maria. He had done nothing to save her. Then, he became aware of Marta calling him.

"Father! Father, what happened? Why did they take Mother? Where did they take her"

Georg looked at Marta as though in a daze. The only thing he knew was that Maria was gone, perhaps forever.

Liesl looked at her father, and knew that she had to take charge. She addressed her siblings. "Now, listen to me. Mother may be gone now, but she will come back soon. We must go on. She will meet us later." The younger Von Trapps nodded solemnly. Liesl sighed in relief; they had believed her. In her heart, Liesl knew that there was a chance that her mother might never return.

When Georg heard what Liesl said, he realized that he had to forget Maria for his children's sake. "Liesl is right, children. Mother will come back to us. Now, we must prepare for the next stage of our journey. We will be in Paris soon, where Baroness Schraeder will meet us. Everything will be all right."

A good distance away from the train, Maria sat in the back of a truck with fifteen others. It turned out that as the train passed over the border of Austria, Nazi soldiers intercepted it, and she was one of sixteen randomly selected passengers to be taken into Germany. Soon, the truck pulled into a Nazi concentration camp located on the border. She and the others were pulled from the trick and made to stand in a line while the driver talked to another Nazi who was the one who ran the camp. Maria saw the driver point to her several times. She knew that they had her marked as the wife of Georg. Suddenly, a tall soldier grabbed her and pulled her away from the others. The Nazi pushed her towards an old, abandoned cistern-like hole, and made her go inside it. The interior of the cistern was obscured, because of the stifling darkness that filled it to every corner. The Nazi smiled a sardonic grin, and walked away, leaving Maria trapped. Depressed by her current state of helplessness, and worried for her family's safety, Maria groped through the darkness to the nearest wall and sat with her back resting on it, her face in her hands. "Well, At least my family is safe." she thought. All she could think of was of Georg and her children. Suddenly, she realized that drowning in a pool of sorrow was not helping her or anyone. She stood up, and began feeling her way along the perimeter of her prison. "Please, Father, help me find a way out." whispered Maria. "Please help me."

Back on the train, Georg sat by himself, intently studying a map, trying to plan how to get into Germany unnoticed. While he was doing so, he glanced over at his children, who had no idea what he was planning. Suddenly, he noticed Liesl sitting across from him, just staring at him. "What is it, Liesl" he asked.

"You are planning to enter Germany and rescue Mother.," stated Liesl accusingly. "Father, please do not do it"

Georg stared at his eldest daughter, taken by surprise. "How did you know" he asked.

"Every time I see you, I can see it. You are ashamed that you could not save her, and now you would do anything to get her back. Father, please listen to me. If you went into Germany and got captured by the Nazis, how would that help Mother or us" asked Liesl simply.

Suddenly, much to Liesl's surprise, Georg fell to his knees, momentarily overcome by grief. All he wanted was to have Maria back. For all he knew, she could be dead by now. He knew that the Nazis were capable of doing their worst to her. All he could think of was that he nor his children might never see Maria again.

Liesl sighed, and knelt beside her father. "Father, remember how Mother always talked of God. She believed that whatever happened to her and to us was the will of God. I know that what is happening to us is His will. If Mother were here, she would be ashamed of how you are acting. She would tell you to have faith that no matter what happens, it is God's will."

Georg looked at Liesl as though seeing her in a new light. She had spoken as though God was using her to speak to him. He stood up and said"You are right. It is God's will that this happened. If it is in His plan, He will return Mother to us, and if not, we will remain separated. All we can do is trust in Him. Come, daughter, let us rest. We have a long journey still ahead of us." He and Liesl sat by each other, and spent the rest of the trip in shared silence.

Back in the cistern, Maria continued feeling her way around the wall, trying to find a way from her prison. As she moved her hands along the wall, she felt a slight slant in the wall. Feeling the surface, she realized that a door stood in front of her. Cautiously turning the handle, she found it to be unsurprisingly locked. She found by touch, that there was a keyhole on the door. Peering through the hole, Maria saw a blinding white color, meaning that the door led outside, and also that it had snowed. Lowering herself to the ground, she began trying to find something that could be used to break down the door. As she carefully felt her way around, her foot struck something hard and solid. She picked it up, and, finding that it was a log, smashed it repeatedly against the door. Unfortunately, her efforts only caused fragments of the door to come off. Suddenly realizing how much noise she was causing, Maria dropped the log and hurriedly sat down, trying to look as though she was not responsible for the sounds. Then, the cover of the cistern was opened from above, and light streamed down.

A Nazi standing at the entrance to the cistern shone his flashlight down. "You! What was that noise" he bellowed.

Maria shivered slightly as she answered"I... I did nothing."

The Nazi slapped her ruthlessly. "You lie! Now, you will get no food or water." With that, he slammed the cover of the cistern back on, and walked away.

Maria sat on the ground, holding the side of her face until the throbbing subsided. She sighed hopelessly, her situation having become even grimmer. It seemed as though she would never escape, and would most likely starve to death. Even as these fearful thoughts filled her mind, a calming presence came from nowhere and banished them. Mara stood up, and felt the very presence of her God filling her. "This must be God's will for me. Why should I bemoan my plight, when this is His plan? He must have planned something good to come from this. I will not be reduced to a cringing, weeping wreck. I will remain faithful till the end."

Once again on the train, the conductor announced that they were nearing the terminal in Paris, France. Georg felt a sudden excitement well up against him; they were near to their final destination. All they had to do... Suddenly, Georg stopped that thought in mid-sentence, having almost forgotten about Maria. "How can I go on to America without her? Tell me, God, what should I do? Should I leave her to death at the hands of the Nazis, or should I try to rescue her? What should I do" he asked mentally. Then, he thought"Maybe Elsa will know how to help me." Just then, the conductor announced that they had reached the terminal, and that everyone was to collect their belongings and proceed off the train. The Von Trapps, with their baggage, stepped off the train and took their first look at Paris.

As they stood in the terminal gazing around, Georg heard a voice calling him. He turned and saw Elsa running towards him.

Embracing her friend, Elsa exclaimed"I have been waiting so long to see you! How was your journey? How was- Wait, where is your wife"

Georg sighed heavily and replied"Let us go to your home. I will tell you there."

When the car pulled up at Elsa's home, they all got out and went inside. The children found that there were a number of rooms at their disposal, and soon all were settled. Georg and Elsa went into the office adjacent to the entry, and sat down.

"Georg, what happened? Why is Maria not here" asked Elsa, the minute she and Georg were seated.

"The Nazis intercepted our train at the border, and she was taken along with some other passengers." was Georg's terse reply.

"Have you thought of how to get her back"

"I have, but I cannot take the risk of being captured myself, and leaving the children alone. What would happen then"

"I would care for them. You know I would, Georg"

"Yes, I know, but... Still, I am not sure."

"You know, I do have a friend who is a spy working against the Nazis. Masquerading as an officer, he has infiltrated the concentration camp on the border, which is most likely where Maria was taken. He could get her out."

"Can you contact him"

"Of course. Hold on a moment." Elsa went to her desk, picked up the phone, dialed a number, and waited for someone to pick up.

"Who is this" demanded a rough-sounding voice.

"I want to speak to Officer Max Emmrich.," replied Elsa. "I am his friend."

"Where do you live"

"Why is that important? Put him on the phone."

"Very well. But you will regret speaking to me in this manner."

Elsa then heard the Nazi ordering another soldier to get Max on the phone.

Moments later, she heard him say"Hello"

"Max? This is Elsa Schraeder."

"Elsa! How nice to hear from you. But why have you called"

"The Nazis have captured the wife of my friend Georg Von Trapp. Could you somehow have her released"

"I suppose I could. After all, I am the one who saw her jailed. And, it just so happens; I am in charge of all prisoners. No one may question my judgment."

"Excellent! Then, you will release her"

"Of course. Now, where is Georg now"

"He is staying with me in Paris."

"Good. His wife will be joining you within the week."

"Thank you, Max. Goodbye." Elsa hung up the phone and turned to Georg. "Max will have Maria out of Germany and into Paris within the week."

Georg grasped Elsa's hand firmly. "Thank you so much. I will never forget this. If there is anything I can do for you or for your friend, please tell me."

Elsa shook her head and smiled. "Just promise me that you will get to America safely."

"I promise."


	5. Chapter Five: Hope Shines

Author's Note: I am so sorry for not updating sooner. My computer was experiencing problems, and I was prevented from using the Internet. Now, I am able to use it again, much to my relief. I hope my absence did not turn any of you away. I would hate to lose any of my valued readers. Thank you to all for your comments. They are greatly appreciated. I must tell you, after I finished the fourth chapter and started on the fifth, I found that I was losing interest in this story. I did contemplate abandoning it (and all of you), but it was your comments that rekindled my "spark", and gave me the "fire" I needed to finish this chapter. I love you all, and thank you again for your encouraging comments. Please review this chapter. Thank you all!

Chapter Five: Hope Shines

The next day, Maria, who was still trapped in the cistern, was beginning to feel the pangs of hunger. She had spent the previous night unable to sleep, because of the hunger she felt. She knew that the pains she felt now would worsen until they became unbearable. If the lack of food continued, Maria knew she would die. Feeling the beginnings of weakness overtaking her, she lay down on the floor of the cistern and gradually drifted off into a restless sleep. Dreams of her faraway loved ones filled her mind. She saw her youngest daughter, Gretl, sitting alone in Austria, with tears on her face. She disappeared, and was replaced by Marta, standing at the lake by her old home, also crying for her lost mother. Marta vanished, and Kurt appeared. He was sitting in his room; the same sorrowful tears on his face before disappearing and being replaced by Brigitta and Louisa both weeping before vanishing. Liesl and Friedrich came also, weeping like their siblings had. The saddest image of all was of Georg, alone in the room Maria had occupied during her time there, on his knees with tears on his face. At the sight of this last picture, Maria's eyes snapped open, and she cried out in misery. The images she had seen looked so real. Tears of sorrow and pain coursed down Maria's face as she thought of her family.

Outside the cistern, the Nazis walked around doing their normal duties. Elsa's friend, Officer Max Emmrich, walked unnoticed towards the cistern. Lifting the cover, he called out"Maria Von Trapp! Can you hear me"

As Maria was sinking into a cesspool of grief, a voice from the outside called to her. For a moment, she thought it was God coming to take her into His kingdom. Then she realized that it was a man at the entrance of the cistern looking down at her.

"You are Maria Von Trapp? I am Max Emmrich, spy against the Nazis, and close friend of Elsa Schraeder. I am here to help you.," said Max.

"To help me? How" asked Maria.

"I can get you out of here and into Paris where your family is."

"Could you get me out now"

"I am sorry, no. At the moment, there are duties I must attend to, but I will return tonight." Max made as if to leave, but Maria called out to him.

"Wait! Have you any food? The soldiers have deprived me of it."

"Again, I must apologize. But I will bring some when I return tonight. Farewell till then." With that, Max replaced the cover of the cistern and left, one more plunging Maria into darkness.

Back in Elsa's house, there was nothing for the Von Trapps to do while they waited for Maria. Georg divided his time between his children and Elsa. They had a lot of catching up to do with each other, as neither had spoken since they called off their engagement. They had no bad blood between each other, and they still regarded each other as sister and brother. Secretly, Elsa still loved him, but she knew full well that he was married. She ached for love, but new that it would not come from him. Her luck with love was nonexistent. Besides Georg, who was completely out of the question, there was Max Emmrich, the spy who had infiltrated the Nazis, and was no pretending to be one of them. She loved him, but the problem was that she believed he did not love her. But now, thinking about her love life was not helping anything, so she turned her mind back to Georg, who was still sitting beside her. "Georg" she asked.

"Yes" he asked in reply.

"Tell me, what do you plan to do in America"

"Well, I suppose Maria and I would have to go to work, and the children would have to go to school."

"But, you do not speak the Americans' language."

"We would have to learn."

"I see."

"From what I have heard, America is a land of great opportunity. It is a good place to live, I think. Maria and I believe it will be a better place to raise our children."

Elsa fell silent, and spoke no more. Georg excused himself, and went to look after his children.

When he entered Liesl's room, he saw, to his immense concern, that she had tears in her eyes. "Liesl! My daughter, what is wrong"

Liesl shook her head and turned away from him.

"Please, do not turn away from me."

"I miss Mother so much. I wish she could somehow come back."

"Liesl... Baroness Schraeder has a friend who has infiltrated the Nazis. He has been put in charge of all prisoners at the concentration camp where Mother is. He will release her and bring her back to us."

"Really, Father? Mother is coming back"

"Yes, daughter. So dry your tears now and do not give up hope." Georg smiled as he left Liesl's room. "Never give up hope." he whispered.

Back in the camp, Max Emmrich never had the chance to return to the cistern

until two weeks later. He had been detained, either by chance or on purpose, by an enormous workload that kept him occupied. Through out those two weeks, he often wondered how Maria was faring. He fervently hoped that she would still be alive when he came to free her.

Meanwhile, inside the cistern, Maria lay on the floor, drastically weakened from the lack of food and water. She had no strength left to move. Even though the dire circumstances she was in were close to claiming her life, she somehow willed herself to hold on to the slim hope that Max would return. Just then, her dimmed senses heard a strange scraping sound.

The cistern cover was lifted off, and Max stepped inside. Shining his flashlight around, he saw her where she lay. "Forgive me for not returning before this. I am sorry." he apologized.

Through Maria's fading eyes, she could dimly make out Max kneeling beside her. She tried to whisper a word of thanks, but it came out as only a soft moan.

"Do not speak. I brought some food for you." Max held a spoonful of broth to Maria's parched and dried lips and slowly poured it down he throat.

The weeks passed with Max caring for Maria and helping her to regain her strength. Finally, on the fourth week, she was strong enough to walk. It was now time for her and Max to make the journey to Paris.

Max helped her climb out of the cistern, and waited, as she grew reaccustomed to the light. When she was ready, they walked to the vehicle Max used.

"Stop! Where are you going" demanded a Nazi from behind them.

"I am relocating this lady to another concentration camp. I was ordered to do so." replied Max.

"I order you not to." The Nazi pulled out a knife and threw himself at Max, who quickly moved out of the way. Maria, who was still not fully recovered, could not move fast enough, and the knife sliced her ankle nearly to the bone. She gasped and collapsed. Max turned and saw the Nazi about to drive the knife into Maria, who was disabled by the wound on her ankle. Running towards their attacker, Max pushed him over and, grabbing the knife, he drove it into the Nazi's leg, immobilizing him, so that he and Maria could escape. "Come, Maria. We will leave now." said Max, as he lifted her up in his strong arms and began walking towards his vehicle. Before they could go to the train terminal, he would have to bring her to a doctor and get care for her ankle. She could not be traveling around with a disabling injury such as the one she had.

While she rested in Max's arms, Maria thought of her family. Hopefully, she would soon be reunited with them. As she dozed off, their images gently guided her to sleep.

Max gently placed the now-sleeping Maria on the backseat of his car, and got into the driver's seat. Beginning the drive to the nearest doctor, he looked behind at Maria. She had been through quite an ordeal, but had not complained once. He could not help admiring her courage, but at the same time, he thought of another woman who was also very brave. She was Elsa Schraeder, and Max was in love with her. Although he did not know it, that was one thing they had in common. They both loved each other. Shaking his head, Max mentally chided himself; pining away for Elsa was not going to accomplish anything, so he reluctantly pushed away the thoughts he had of her. Still, he wished that somehow they could be brought together. As Max redirected his attentions to the lonely stretch of road, he quickly brushed a hand over his eyes and wiped away a single tear.

Inside Elsa's house, Georg found himself beginning to grow restless. He knew Elsa had said that Maria would be home within the week, but somehow he could not help wishing that she would come home sooner. It seemed to him that he spent most of his time wandering aimlessly around the house, thinking about many different things. Something he had noticed was that he had changed quite a bit. He was no longer the strict disciplinarian he had always been, but was somehow softer and more open to other peoples' needs. Then, he realized who was responsible for these changes; it was none other than Maria. Now that he thought about it, every change that had taken place recently had come from her. She had brought out the absolute best in him and in his children. "Without her, where would we be now" he wondered. "Well" he thought. "I suppose we would still be here in Paris. With or without having met Maria, we still would have been forced to leave Austria." Then, an unsettling thought struck him. "If we had never met, Maria would not be in a concentration camp now." Georg sighed heavily. Chastising himself for what had happened was not going to resolve anything. Pushing aside his gloomy thoughts, he went to look for his children, and found them sitting together in Liesl's room. Stepping in, he smiled and sat down with them. "Hello, children. How have you been? I am sorry that I have not had a lot of time for you lately; Baroness Schraeder and I have been making arrangements to get Mother back." Georg sat back, and waited for the small explosion that he knew would come from all his children, except for Liesl, who knew already.

"Really, Father? Mother is coming back? Oh, when? When, Father" cried Brigitta, eagerly.

"How is she getting here" chimed in Marta.

"Will she come before we have to leave for America" asked Friedrich.

Georg laughed for the first time in many days. "Calm yourselves, children! Mother will be coming home in less than a week, escorted by Baroness Schraeder's friend, Max Emmrich. And, do not worry, for we would never leave here without her. We will go to America as a family."

The children rushed to their father, and soon had him buried underneath them, as they hugged him joyously. The ecstatic feelings they were experiencing were indescribable. They knew that this was a moment none of them would forget as long as they lived.

At that precise moment, Maria, who was now awake, found herself lying on a strange bed. She looked around, confused, and asked"Where am I? Max? Where are you"

Max, who was standing outside her room, heard her calling, and rushed inside. "Ah, so, you are awake. How do you feel"

"I feel all right, but where am I? How did I get here? What happened"

"As we were leaving the camp, we were stopped by a Nazi, who tried to keep us from leaving. He gave you a small, but deep cut on the ankle. Fortunately, it was not a serious wound. I am glad I found this hospital, for I did not think travelling around with an injury was a wise idea."

"Thank you so much; I am truly grateful. But, Max, when will I be able to leave"

"The doctor says you may leave now, if that is what you wish."

"May we leave then"

"Of course." Max helped Maria from her bed, and assisted her out of the hospital and into his car. Soon, they were en route to the nearest train terminal.

As they drove along the bumpy dirt road, Maria noticed a car tailing them rather closely. She realized that there were four Nazis in it. "No.. Not again. Please, not again.." she whispered.

"Maria, what is wrong"

"There is a car with four Nazis tailing us. They have come for me."

Max glanced at the rearview mirror, and saw that she was right. "Hold on, Maria. I will not let them take you again." He sped up in an effort to lose their pursuers. However, as he did so, the Nazis increased their speed also. It became apparent that they were not going to let them escape so easily.

As she watched the Nazis relentlessly chasing them, Maria began to pray. "Dear Lord... Please save us. Protect us from the Nazis."

Suddenly, from almost out of nowhere, a second Nazi car drew along Max's vehicle. Following them a few feet, it suddenly swerved to the right, and sent them spinning uncontrollably off the road and into a ditch. Maria began to shake in fear, as she heard crunching sounds drawing closer. Suddenly, the door was yanked open, and Nazi grabbed her by the arm, and roughly dragged her from the car. She cried out as she was taken away. "Max, help me"

Max, hearing her cry, began running after her and the attacker. He grasped his arm in a firm grip, and tried to pull Maria away from him. The Nazi turned around, pulled out his gun, and insensately shot Max.

"No" screamed Maria, as she watched him crumble to the ground. "Max"

The murderer sneered ruthlessly, grabbed Maria by the arm again, dragged her away, and shoved her into his car.

The last Max saw of Maria as he died was her staring at him through the car window with tears in her eyes. His last thoughts were of how he had failed to save her. As she slipped away, he wondered who would save her now. His vision faded, and his eyes closed. That was the end of the man who had given his all to save Maria.


	6. Chapter Six: Dark and Light

Chapter Six

Author's Note: In my humble opinion, things get quite intense for Maria, Elsa, and the other Von Trapps. I don't know what you will think of this, and I do hope that it isn't too unrealistic. Anyway, please enjoy, and review it!

Addition made on 10/6/04. Hi! One of my readers (Sprolick), asked if this was the end. NOPE! I plan on having ten chapters total, so this story is nowhere near ending! Hang in there, readers!

Chapter Six: Dark and Light

Inside the Nazi vehicle, Maria closed her eyes and shivered. She was still in shock, after seeing Max die. Also, she feared what would happen when she reached the concentration c amp again. It seemed that all hope she once had had was gone. Now, she knew with fervent certainty, she would never see her family again. The most she could expect was death at the hands of her captors, which would most likely come immediately following her arrival. At this exact time, there was no way for her to know that her fate was not sealed quite yet. Overcome by weariness and grief, Maria buried her face in her hands, and falling asleep, was lost to the world for several hours.

When Maria awoke, everything was dark, and for a moment, she thought she had gone blind until she realized it was now night and that the Nazis were still driving towards the concentration camp. They were paying Maria about as much attention as one would a speck of dirt. Now that she was feeling more refreshed, she thought quickly about how to escape. A way to turn the situation around came to her. Still, she knew that for it to be successful, she would have to be extremely careful. One mistake could not only result in the much desired deaths or injury of the Nazis, but also her own, which was the last thing she wanted. Another worry she had to deal with was the fact that all of the Nazis in the car were armed with guns, and could easily shoot her, just as they had Max. Searching through her torn and dilapidated clothes, Maria's hand closed around something hard. Taking it out, she found that it was a heavy, pocket-sized solid gold figurine of Georg, who had had it custom-made, so he could give it to her on their wedding night. "Your statue will help set me free, Georg." Maria whispered, as though Georg could hear her. Raising the statue, Maria brought it down on the driver's head. The vehicle swerved, almost going off the road. Before the other Nazis could react, Maria grabbed the wheel, and turning it sharply, sent the car speeding off the road, into a ditch, and finally crashing into a tree. The force of the car's impact killed the three Nazis instantly, and narrowly missed doing the same to Maria. Trapped in the crushed and twisted ruins of the car, Maria managed a weak smile as she thought"I am free." Then, she passed out, falling on top of the seat in front of her.

Inside Elsa's house, the phone rang. Georg, who was closest, answered it. "Hello"

"This is Officer Heinrich Steiner. Is the Baroness Elsa Schraeder there" asked the caller.

"I will put her on." replied Georg, putting down the phone and going to look for her. "A curse on this big house! How will I find her in this" he growled, as he went.

"Georg" called Elsa, who had seen him stalk past her room.

"Turning, he saw her standing behind him. "There you are. An Officer Heinrich Steiner wants to speak with you."

Elsa's heart leapt. "Heinrich Steiner? He is Max's friend" she thought. "Thank you, Georg." she said as she rushed down the hall to get the phone. "Hello? Heinrich? This is Elsa."

"Elsa! This is Heinrich Steiner. I regret to say that I have some very sad news for you."

"Has something happened to Maria? Please, say it is not true"

"Maria? You mean the wife of Georg Von Trapp? No, my news concerns your friend Max Emmrich."

"Has he been hurt? Is he all right? How grievous is his wound"

"Elsa, Max is.." paused Heinrich, trying to decide how best to tell her what had happened. "He is... He is dead."

"Dead? No! It cannot be true! You are lying to me"

"I am truly sorry, Elsa. A Nazi shot him. I know not the exact circumstances."

Elsa dropped the phone in shock.

"Elsa? Elsa! Are you all right"

She sank to the floor, as tears streamed down her face.

Georg, coming down the hall, saw her there. "Elsa! What is wrong? Has something happened"

Numbly, as though someone was speaking through her, she said"Max is dead. A Nazi shot him."

"What of Maria? Is she alive? Did the Nazi kill her" Georg asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"I do not know. Max is dead." repeated Elsa, still in a state of shock.

Georg sighed, as he put his arms around Elsa. He spoke gently"Come, Elsa. You need sleep. I will bring you to your room.

After he had made sure that Elsa was asleep, Georg left her room, and fell to his knees. "How much more grief and pain can we bear? If Maria is dead, then there is nothing here to live for"

Maria was awakened by the sounds of whispering voices.

"Shh! You will wake the lady" said a friendly-sounding voice quietly.

"She is already awake" replied another voice.

"Ah, so she is." said the first voice. Addressing Maria, the voice said"Welcome back to the living world. I am Sophia Schmidt, and this is my husband Martin."

"I am Maria Von Trapp. The Nazis are after me. Could you protect me from them" asked Maria, finding, to her relief, that she was barely injured at all, unlike her would-be Nazi captors, who were now dead.

"Of course, of course. You will be safe here." said Sophia.

"My husband is in Paris, France. Is there some way you could help me rejoin him"

"We will bring you to the train terminal. The Nazis will not find you. Now, you must rest. Sleep now."

Maria willingly obeyed, and soon she was fast asleep, dreaming again of her family.

The next morning, Maria woke up, revitalized, and ready to join her family in Paris. Soon, she and the Schmidts were on their way to the nearest train terminal. The thought never entered her mind that her rescuers might not be as friendly as she seemed. The only thoughts she had were of God. She prayed fervently that the Nazis would not find her and try to recapture her. This time, it truly seemed that, for a time, God was with her, for no one tried to stop her. Finally, they arrived at the terminal, and the Schmidts guided Maria onto the train. Before it left, she embraced the husband and wife who had saved her. "Thank you. I owe everything to the both of you. May the Lord bless you." With a smile and a parting wave, Maria boarded the train.

"Well, Martin, we should leave now." said Sophia.

"Yes, the Nazis are still waiting. We need to report to them." replied Martin. "Let us leave."

A few miles away, at a medium-sized building emblazoned Nazi insignias, the Schmidts entered the building. "We have come with news." announced Martin.

"Have you found the Von Trapp lady" demanded a man who was a Nazi officer.

"We have. She is on a train bound for Paris, where she will meet her family."

"You have done well. I will make sure that when the Von Trapp lady has been recaptured, you will both be rewarded."

The Schmidts nodded, and left the building. Moments after their departure, four cars filled with Nazi soldiers left the base, heading towards the terminal. They were coming for Maria.

Meanwhile, Maria was on the Paris-bound train, on her way to reuniting with her family. She closed her eyes, and sighed. Soon she would be safe in Elsa Schraeder's home, surrounded by her children and under the care of her beloved Georg.

At that precise moment in Paris, Georg was standing alone outside the house, holding a knife. Staring at it, he thought about his alternatives. Since he believed Maria to be dead, he thought there was nothing left to live for. Death would be a welcome escape. Then, he thought"What if Maria is not dead? And what of my children? If I killed myself and she returned only to find me dead, what would happen then? Maybe suicide is not the answer." Georg shook his head, consumed with doubts. "What should I do"

While Georg was battling with himself, Elsa came outside. "Georg! A letter has come for you"

Turning, Georg saw Elsa approaching. Quickly hiding the knife, he asked"Who is it from"

"It is from our friend Max Detweiler."

"Max" Georg took the letter and opened it. The news it contained was far from good; Georg's former home had been burned to the ground by supporters of the Nazis. He crumpled the letter in his hand; the Nazis had taken everything from him. How much more would they take away?

Tow days passed, and Georg's mood had not improved. In the back of his mind, the thought of suicide still lingered. Then, on the morning of the third day, the arrival of an unexpected visitor drove all despairing thoughts away. That morning, Georg had woken up early as usual, and went about the business of getting ready for the new day. As he sat in the kitchen reading the day's news, a knock sounded. HE opened the door, and when he was who was standing there, his heart stopped. "It.. It cannot be.." he whispered.

There in the doorway stood his wife, Maria. She whispered"Georg.." Before she could say anything more, Georg wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. She whispered again"Georg, I have missed you." Suddenly, she found tears streaming down her face.

Georg could not bear to see her crying. "You are safe. You do not need to cry anymore." he gently reassured her.

Elsa came out of the room, and saw Maria and Georg standing in the doorway. "Maria! You have returned! How did you manage it"

"Your friend Max Emmrich and a German couple I met helped me. They saved my life, and I will never forget them."

The silence that followed was broken by the front door being slammed open. Sixteen Nazi soldiers stepped in. Maria gasped and trembled in fear.

"That woman is a prisoner of the Third Reich. She will come with us." stated one of the soldiers.

"She is a prisoner of no one. You have no claim to her." said Georg.

"If you will not cooperate, then we will take her by force." All sixteen soldiers aimed their guns at Georg, Maria and Elsa. Just then, the Von Trapp children, awakened by the commotion, came down the stairs and found this strange scene. "Father! What is happening" asked Liesl, stunned and surprised at seeing the Nazis there and her mother, whom she did not know had returned.

"Quiet, Liesl! I will handle this." ordered Georg.

Suddenly, shots from outside the house were heard, and four of the Nazis fell to the ground, dead. The remaining soldiers, the Von Trapps, and Elsa stared around surprised. Then, in stepped a man that no one thought would be seen again.

He winked, and smiling roguishly, said"Hello, ladies. Are these men giving you a hard time" It was Max Emmrich, whom all had believed to be dead.

"Max! How.. How did you survive? I saw the Nazis shoot you" asked Maria incredulously.

"Now is not the time! This Nazis need to be taken care of." Max turned and addressed the soldiers. "If you swear that you will leave now and never bother these people again, I will spare you. Your choices have been stated; now what will you do"

"Very well." growled one of the Nazis. "We will leave." The twelve soldiers turned and were gone.

Max turned to his friends and grinned. "You wish to know how I survived, is that not so"

"Of course! I saw you hit by the Nazi's bullet! How is it you are alive" asked Maria.

"Well, the injury was not as serious as it seemed. I was healed and walking a week after that. But now, I must ask, how did you escape from the Nazis"

Maria smiled and replied"They had a little accident, which allowed me to escape. I stayed at the house of a German couple, named the Schmidts."

"Sophia and Martin Schmidt"

"Yes, why"

"They are supporters of the Nazis, and could have killed you at any time. My guess is they reported you to their superiors. They betrayed you."

"They are Nazi supporters"

"Yes. Truly your God must have been with you. Surely you would have died if He was not there."

"What will happen to the Schmidts"

"They were found and killed by agents opposing the Nazis."

"Killed"

"They were responsible for the deaths of several other agents."

Maria shook her head in disbelief. Her vision blurred and she found herself falling.

Georg caught her. "What is wrong, Maria" She could not hear him, as she had fainted from the shock of everything that had happened. "She needs rest now. I will take her to her room."

When he had put her in one of the rooms, Georg and his children left, and let Max and Elsa catch up with each other.

Feeling overwhelmed, Georg went to his room and went to sleep. As he rested, he dreamt many dreams of his family. After a few hours, Georg woke up, and decided to see if Maria was awake. Inside her room, he found her sitting on her bed. "Maria"

"Georg, what are you doing here? I thought you were asleep" said Maria.

"I was, and I just awoke."

"As did I."

"Maria, I missed you so much."

Maria was about to reply, but Georg kissed her before the had a chance. She felt her heart melt inside, and tears of happiness formed in her eyes. Georg and Maria were finally reunited after going through so much fear and doubt. They knew that nothing would ever separate them again.

Reviewer Responses:

I decided to respond to my reviewers! I should have done this a long time ago, so now I have a huge list to respond to.. Oh well...

Janet: Thanks for reading! I'm glad you enjoy my story.

Krisa612: I'm glad you think so. I was worried that people wouldn't like this.

MaryAnne741: Thank you for sticking around for so long! A few reviewers left after chapter one. I'm glad you are enjoying reading this, and I hope you continue to do so! As for the suicide scene in chapter six, I wasn't quite sure how it would be taken by alll of you. It is a little out of character, but I thought it would add a spark of drama.. The next chapter... Well, I don't know how soon it will come, but please please please hang in there!

Sprolick: Thank you so much! I really appreciate your reviews; they really encourage me. And, by the way, this story is not done yet, so PLEASE do not desert me! Thanks again: )

Shannah: I'm glad you're reading and enjoying this. Thanks for your reviews! They are much appreciated.

jessica97: I'm glad you're not offended by my references to God. Thanks for leaving your input.

Melanie: It was a cliffhanger, wasn't it? I'm glad you liked it.

Emilyn: Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad to receive your positive feedback, especially now that I've been "slammed" by a person who was quite rude. Thanks again, and continue to enjoy my story.

Victoria Preston: I'm glad to see that you enjoy my story. It always is wonderful to have readers that are entertained by my works. It is, of course, one of the reasons why I write. Thank you so much!


	7. Chapter Seven: Glimpses of the Future

Author's Note: I apologize for taking so long to update. From now on, updates may take more than two weeks to come. With the pressure of school and life, I only write on my stories when I can manage to do so. It seems that I am becoming a little depressed. My grades in school are the cause of this. I can't seem to get higher than a C in algebra, and it is not very cheering to me. Sometimes I have no will to write. The only thing that keeps me going is that I have an obligation to you. That is why I write. Also, I write because I love to do so. I apologize again. And now to address this chapter: things here become quite drastic. Some scenes relate to the mood I was in when I wrote them. Towards the end of this chapter, something tragical occurs. I must apologize for any liberties I have taken with the characters of the people from The Sound of Music. I hope this does not offend any of you. Now, I'll let you read this chapter. Please review if you have time.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters mentioned here, except for the ones that I have made up.

Chapter Seven: Glimpses of the Future

The next morning, Georg spent most of his time securing tickets for passage to America. Soon, he had purchased nine tickets for his family. The ship they would travel on would leave the next day at nine in the morning. He was looking forward to starting a new life with Maria and his children.

As Georg contemplated what America would hold for him, Maria came towards him. "Good morning, my love." She smiled and asked"Have the arrangements for our passage to America been successfully made"

Georg returned the smile and replied"Our ship leaves tomorrow morning."

"I am so glad. God is truly with us."

"Yes, He is. He has brought us this far, and I know He will guide us the rest of the way." Georg then drew Maria close to him. "Maria? I had something that I have wanted to ask you for the longest time."

"You know you can ask me anything."

"Well, I have been wondering if you have thought about having children."

"But, you have your seven already. Do you really wish to have more"

"Yes, of course. I do have my seven, but I was thinking of you. Do you not want your own children, to love and care for, and also to know that you gave birth to them yourself"

Maria looked surprised; she wondered how Georg had known. "I dearly love all of your children, and I know I always will, but I cannot deny that there are times when I long for a child of my own. The feelings I experience during these times are inexpressible. Georg, I want to have my own children."

"Then, my dearest love, we shall have one." Georg's eyes radiated deep, unfettered love as he stared at Maria.

"Hold me, Georg. I have greatly desired to have you hold me."

Georg kissed her passionately and held her so tightly in his arms that it seemed as though he would never let go. "I am so glad to have you back, Maria."

Maria closed her eyes, wishing that this moment would never end. All she wanted was to be with Georg forever.

At that moment, Elsa was heard calling for Georg.

He sat up, and said"Ah, our moment together comes to an end. Elsa is calling me."

"No, please, Georg. Stay with me; whatever Elsa needs, I am sure it can wait. Please just stay with me."

"Come with me, Maria." Georg took her by the hand, and gently led her from the room.

"Georg, there you are. Where have you been" asked Elsa.

"Maria and I were talking. Did you call for me"

"Oh, no. I am sorry; it was unimportant. I will leave you alone now." Elsa turned without another word and walked away.

"That certainly was odd." said Georg.

Maria had a strange, unfounded feeling that Elsa was trying to spy on them, but she put the thought of her mind, only wanting to think of Georg.

Georg wrapped his arms around her. "I missed you so."

"Oh, Georg, so did I. When I was held captive by the Nazis, I feared that you would have left Paris without me."

Suddenly and inexplicably ashamed, Georg turned away.

"Georg, what is it" Maria's eyes softened with concern. "Are you all right""Maria, I must confess.. There was a moment when I believed you to be dead."

There was a sudden silence. Maria took Georg's hand, and said"I can understand what you went through. I feared for your safety. You mean so much to me. But, please never worry so again. God is here."

Georg hugged her again. "Now that you are safe, I will never do so again. I am so thankful to God for bringing you back. Without you, I would be lost." Even as he said this, an unwanted thought surfaced. "What if Maria knew that I had contemplated suicide? Would she still be so loving and understanding? Would she believe me to be a spineless, fainthearted poltroon? I cannot tell her! But, no, not imparting this to her would make me even more pusillanimous. I could not live with myself if I did not tell her." Aloud, he said suddenly"Maria, I nearly killed myself."

"Georg, what..."

"I will understand if you loathe me and believe me to be the most craven person who ever lived. I realize now that if I had committed this act, I would have been such a fool. Even now, I am finding it difficult to live with myself."

Maria's eyes softened as she watched Georg. "I will relate to you what an intimate friend of mine once told me. Perhaps it does not completely fit your predicament, but it may hold some meaning for you. She told me to live with my guilt, and to not allow feelings of despondency overcome me. And now I say it to you: Do not let the despair of what you almost did overwhelm you. Continue on, and learn from this. This is all I can say to help you. You must find the courage to go on inside yourself. I love you, Georg." She smiled reassuringly, and walked away.

As he watched his wife leave, he wondered aloud"What have I done to be blessed with such a faithful and steadfast wife? You have truly favored me, Lord."

Her words echoed in his head. "Live with your guilt. You must find the courage to go on inside yourself." "I will heed your wise counsel. I have learned a lesson; Maria, I owe much to you." stated Georg aloud.

Inside Maria's room, she sat on her bed, and opening her Bible, turned it to the hundred and thirty-ninth psalm. She knew it well, and found the comfort and strength it gave to her to be very inspiring. After reading, she prayed a short prayer for her friends and family, and that they would be granted safe passage to America. Still worn out from her ordeal as well as the events that had occurred the previous day, Maria lay down, and fell into a deep sleep.

The day passed with no exciting revelations, and when the day of the Von Trapps' departure arrived, the family was of mixed emotions. They were reluctant to leave behind their friends Elsa and Max, and yet, they were eager to go to America, and see what God had in store for them.

At the harbor, Elsa and Max prepared to see the family safely on board the vessel that would take them to America. Before they did board, Maria embraced Elsa. "Thank you for all you have done for my family and I. We will never be able to repay you." She then turned to Max. "You were prepared to give your life for mine. I owe you a debt that can never be repaid. Farewell, my true friends."

Georg also embraced Elsa, and shook Max's hand, saying things similar to what Maria had spoken.

"Thank you for your kind words. We will never forget you. Now, you must go; your ship awaits." said Max.

Georg and Maria said their final goodbyes, and directed their children onto the ship.

"Your passports, please." said one of the crewmembers.

Georg handed them to the man, and after he had examined them, he gave them back and waved them on. Once off the deck and inside and inside, he found the ship to be dark, dank, and damp. He shook his head. "I do not like this. This is no place for you or for the children."

"Oh, Georg, do not worry. This will be perfectly all right." said Maria reassuringly. "We will manage."

Later that day, after the family had found their temporary accommodations and had safely stowed away their belongings in their respective staterooms, Maria went out onto the top deck of the ship to get some air. She lifted her face up, and stared at the sky, enjoying the feel of the refreshing sea breeze. Her hands went to her hair, and unloosed the bun that she wore. Her blond hair, which used to be cut short in a boyish style, was now shoulder length. The wind caught it in its gentle caress, tossing it into the air, looking like a ray of sunlight after a storm, elusive and impossible to capture.

Georg came out onto the deck, and stared in surprise at the stunning scenery. As he looked around, he saw Maria standing by the railing, looking out at the water. Walking up next to her, he placed his arm around her.

When Georg put his arm around her, Maria sighed in contentment, and said"Georg, it is so beautiful."

"It is just as beautiful as you." replied Georg.

"Oh, stop, you are embarrassing me"

"Why? You are very beautiful. Why are you ashamed"

"Oh, Georg, you are such a scoundrel"

Georg winked and bowed gallantly. "Why, yes, I am."

"I will never understand how you can be so gentlemanly one moment and so utterly roguish the next."

"It is a gift." said Georg, in a jesting manner.

Maria smiled back, and resumed watching the breathtaking scenery.

As the two of them stood there together on the deck, the children came out and stood beside them .All were there, except for Gretl. Georg did not notice her absence, as he was completely taken by the magnificent scenery that was passing by.

Although Georg failed to notice that Gretl was not there, Maria did. "Children, where is Gretl? Why is she not here with you"

The children looked the ground and did not reply.

"For heaven's sake, children! Where is your sister" Maria was beginning to panic.

Finally, Liesl spoke. "She.. She has fallen over the side of the ship, Mother. We were coming from out room, when we decided to stand by the rails, and see if we could see anything, when she climbed up too far, and fell in. The ship's crew tried to rescue her, but she had panicked, and had begun to thrash wildly, sending her too far away to be saved."

Hearing this unexpected news, Georg turned abruptly and walked away, leaving the children staring after him, and Maria fell to her knees in shock. Her children knelt beside her, and they mourned together.

Inside the stateroom that he shared with Maria, Georg sat on one of the beds, his face in his hands. "How could this be? I thought that once we were underway for America, there would be no more of these bad things happening. How could this have happened" Just then, Georg felt his feelings of despair and grief fade away; they were replaced by a sense of peace, which Georg recognized as having been brought by the presence of God. Although no sound was heard, Georg heard a voice belonging to God telling him that He was still with him and his family, and that no matter what happened, they could be sure that it was His will. The voice began to fade, and as it did so, the last Georg heard was it saying"God's will hath no why."

Later on, Maria entered the room alone. Sitting beside Georg, she said one thing. "God's will hath no why."

Georg looked up and said"God came to me and told me the same thing. This is God's will. He wants us to make the best of this."

"Yes, this is His will." Maria paused and suddenly threw herself at Georg, and began to weep bitterly.

Georg stared at her in surprise. She had always been the one who could reassure anyone with her unshakable faith. "Still" he thought. "surely she is allowed to have her moments of frailty. After all, she is human." He stroked her hair gently, and whispered"Maria, God is with us. He will never desert us. Never forget that."

Maria shook her head, and continued to weep inconsolably, before whispering"Please forgive me, Georg."

He looked strangely at her. "Why, Maria"

"I feel so guilty. Gretl would have been alive if you and the children had never met me."

He held her reassuringly in his arms. "You are traumatized by today's events. Do not think such things. Come, you must sleep for a while." He stayed in the stateroom until she had fallen asleep, then he quietly left and went into his children's stateroom. Kneeling on the floor, he began to pray"My Jesus, You give and You take away. You have chosen to take our Gretl home to be with You forever. Let our family accept Your will, and recover from our loss. I ask that You be with Maria and help her to not waste away from grief. I thank You for being here for us during this long and arduous journey that we have undertaken." Having finished his prayer, which did not match his true feelings, he went over to one of the beds and, worn out from grieving, lay his weary head down on the mattress, and fell asleep, too tired to get properly into the bed.

A short while later, the von Trapp children came in, and seeing their father asleep, gently draped a blanket over him and then joined him in sleep.

Early the next morning, the von Trapps stood at the back of the ship, holding small tokens of respect for the memory of Gretl. Throwing them over the side, they whispered prayers for their lost loved one, then returned to their staterooms, holding each other in a comforting embrace. They spent the rest of the morning reading prayers for the deceased, and did not come out until the afternoon, which they spent in a leisurely fashion, all the while thinking of Gretl.

Maria spent the remainder of the day trying to be as comforting as possible to Georg and her children. Her grief could be compared to a raw and open wound, but she knew that the grief her family was experiencing was like a fatal death wound. She whispered words of peace to her older children, and hugged her younger ones to whom the sorrow found in death, though it was still felt, was like an undecipherable conundrum. As terrible as the children's grief may have been, it could not compare with the sorrow that Georg was enduring. It would have killed him to lose anyone in his family, but somehow it hurt ten times as much to lose his youngest. He wondered why she had to die. Gretl was still a child, and not even fully grown. As he sat outside on the deck, he found himself questioning God's plan for him and his family. Suddenly he noticed that Maria had joined him and asked"Maria, did you need to ask me something"

"Georg, I just want you to know that I understand the pain you are going through. I have experienced before this what it is like to lose a child." said Maria. "I know how it feels, but believe me, although times at first may test your faith, you will find your peace. You will recover from your grief, and you will go on, aided by the memories of your lost one, and by the love of those around you." Maria smiled a sad smile at Georg and walked away, leaving him staring at her as she left.

Inside her stateroom, Maria sat on a bed, writing in the journal that she kept. Into its pages, she emptied all of her thoughts, worries, and emotions. After an hour of writing, she found that she felt much better.

As she sat inside the room, the door opened and Georg stepped in. "Your words have helped me a great deal. Thank you." As he hugged and kissed her comfortingly, he heard her whisper"I love you", and he felt her tears falling on his face.

Reviewer Responses:

MaryAnne741: I apologize for going out of character with Georg. It definitely isn't how he would really be, is it? Again, I apologize. And I also apologize for the delay in getting this chapter up. I hope you understand that with schoolwork and everything else going on, it is hard to update as frequently. Thank you for your patience!

Sprolick: Nope, this isn't the end, obviously!  :There's still quite a bit more to come with the story of the Von Trapps, so please hang in there! I'm soooo sorry for not updating for such a long time. I hope you read my note at the beginning of this chapter; it explains why there was such a long absence. Thank you for being such a faithful reader. Enjoy this latest chapter.

ProperlyPrim18: It was good to have him come back, wasn't it? I am glad you're enjoying this. Please stick around until the end! Thank you soo much!

Elvish-princess130990: Thanks for your review! Stick around to see the end!

Dolphine: I apologize for the delay. The note from me at the beginning of the chapter explains why I was unable to update sooner than this. I hope you didn't think I had deserted you! Please continue to read! The end is coming soon!


	8. Chapter Eight: A Cruel Hand

Author's Note: I apologize for taking SO long to write this chapter. Once again, my interest in updating flagged, but thankfully it has returned. I promise that I will not go on such a long hiatus next time. I really hope that you haven't abandoned me, my readers! Please enjoy this chapter! Anyway, at the beginning, the von Trapps seem to be standing at the top of a hill, as it were. Towards the afternoon, they begin to decline a bit. By the time evening arrives, they are in the pit of utmost despair, with a very bleak future ahead of them. Heh heh heh…. Ok, I'm not usually this weird, but that's pretty much what happens here.. I hope you all feel very sorry for the von Trapps, and also I hope you don't hate me too much!

Additional note written 02.02.05. Have patience, readers! Chapter nine is in progress! I promise to finish it today and have it up either tomorrow or the day after. Oh, and just to let you know, it's a real shocker! Heh heh heh…….

- Gabriele-Marie

ANOTHER additional note written on 4/13/06

Oh my goodness. It's been way too long. I imagine I've lost all the readers who have stuck with me for so long. I owe you an explanation for my outrageous hiatus. I have started college (not full-time, but soon) and have let my writing all but disappear. But I am intending (if all goes well) to begin updating this story possibly in the summer. However, don't get too excited. I'll be working (again, if all goes well), and may not have a lot of time. But I will try to write more... have patience...

-Gabriele-Marie

ANOTHER note written on 4/2/07

A year! Has it seriously been a year? YES! But fear not. The end is coming. I will begin to write the ninth chapter tonight, and then the end will come in either the tenth or eleventh chapters. I do not intend to drag this story out. So yes the end is soon. I apologize for the delay. Do not worry, faithful readers! The end is near.

-Gabriele-Marie

Chapter Eight: A Cruel Hand

The von Trapps were becoming quite restless. Being confined to a ship did not suit them at all. They wanted nothing more to see land again. The monotony was affecting them all immensely, but it particularly bothered Georg. One morning, he decided to take a walk around the ship. As he did so, he became lost in his own thoughts. This was the beginning of his third day on board the ship, and he knew that the journey would last a total of seven days. As he strolled briskly along, he accidentally walked right into another passenger.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry! Are you all right, sir?" asked a woman in English.

Georg looked uncomprehendingly at the woman, before he realized that she was speaking English. Shaking his head, he remained silent.

"I see. You don't speak English, do you? What language do you speak, I wonder"

At that moment, just when Georg and the woman were both about to despair because of their inability to communicate, a fellow Austrian passenger chanced to come along. His name was Wilhelm von Hoffman, and he had met Georg before this. Smiling, he addressed the woman in English. "Would you like me to translate for my friend"

"He is your friend? Tell me, what is his name"

Wilhelm turned to Georg and said"She wants to know your name."

Georg replied, "Tell her that I am Baron Georg von Trapp."

Wilhelm then told this to the woman who said, "Tell him that I am Rebecca Anderson, and that I live in New York."

When he learned what Rebecca had said, Georg's face lit up in recognition. He told Wilhelm, "Ask her what it is like where she lives."

The conversation continued on in this way until Rebecca had an idea. "Mr. Hoffman, ask the Baron if he would like me to teach him how to speak English. I am certain that he will be needing it when he arrives in America."

Learning what Rebecca was proposing, Georg became ecstatic, and told Wilhelm to ask if she could begin right away.

Rebecca readily agreed, and she began instructing him.

Seeing that the lessons were successfully under way, Wilhelm smiled and excused himself, saying that he had some things he had to do.

While Georg and Rebecca were involved in their lessons, Maria was having her own adventures. She had met a dashing young man from England who seemed quite eager to show off how charming he thought he was. Secretly, Maria found him to be very obnoxious, but she managed to conceal it. To the man, it did not seem to matter that Maria could not understand him judging from how he spouted compliments about himself. Still, despite his annoying habits, Maria found him somewhat interesting, especially when Wilhelm von Hoffman came along and offered his services regarding translations. Before she knew it, Wilhelm, the young man whose name was Leonardo Alexandre, and she were in the middle of a scintillating conversation about the sights that could be seen in England. After Leonardo, or Leo, as he preferred to be called, left, Wilhelm offered to give Maria lessons in English, since Georg had already taken advantage of Rebecca's own offer. By the time evening arrived, both Georg and Maria had surprisingly progressed in such a short time. Thanks to Leo and Rebecca, they had learned a few basic sentences. Both of their new friends assured them that by the time the journey was over, they would know enough English to help them get by in America.

That night, Georg and Maria joined their children to hear about their day. Unfortunately, it seemed that the children's' day had not been very enjoyable. All of them had such looks of sadness on their faces, that the parents were quickly sobered. In the excitement of learning English, both Georg and Maria had temporarily forgotten the loss of Gretl. Now they were reminded of it, and all thoughts of the happy times they had experienced that day were forgotten. Maria put her arms around her children in a reassuring embrace. She whispered softly"Your sister would not want you to be sad. She would want you to remember her, and be happy."

Georg's eyes softened as he looked at his family. He also put his arms around them. "We will get through this together."

The words of love and comfort that their parents had spoken helped ease the grief and pain that was still so fresh in the hearts and minds of the children. Suddenly, the peacefulness of t he moment was interrupted as the sound of gunshots rang out. Georg quickly stood up. "Stay here." he told his family. " I will go see what is happening."

As Georg left, Maria whispered a brief prayer for his safety before also standing up. "Children, I want you to stay in here. Keep the door locked unless we tell you to open it." With that, Maria left to look for Georg outside. As she was walking around, she heard footsteps behind her. Her heart pounding, she quickened her steps, a warning sounding in her mind. Taking a quick glance behind her, she saw nothing. Relief coursed through her, warm and comforting. Breathing heavily, Maria leaned against a wall. Then, to her horror, her relief vanished, and she heard the footsteps again, this time accompanied with a shadow looming out from around the corner. Maria whispered"Help me, God." and drew out a small knife that she had kept concealed in her skirt pocket. Holding the knife ready, she stepped around the corner, ready to drive the knife in to the heart of her stalker. It never touched the person and seemed to stop in midair. Maria looked up and saw one of the people that still haunted her dreams standing before her. She stood completely frozen in shock, and let the knife fall. There stood a Nazi soldier. Maria stared at him, her mind numbed and blank.

The soldier raised his gun, as though he was about to shoot her, when he suddenly and inexplicably stopped. Narrowing his eyes, he looked at Maria with a penetrating stare. Suddenly, his eyes lit up in stunned recognition. "Baroness von Trapp?" he questioned, disbelievingly.

Maria gasped. "Rolf!" It was Rolf, the former friend of the von Trapps. "Why... Why are you here?"

"You and your family are under arrest." was the terse reply.

"No.. Rolf... Why?" stammered Maria, taken completely aback.

Rolf opened his mouth to alert the other Nazis, but he never got the words out. He fell to the ground, temporarily stunned.

To Maria's immense relief, Georg stepped towards her. When he saw Maria being confronted by Rolf, he had no choice but to act, and thus was forced to knock him out. "Maria, are you all right? Did he hurt you?"

"No.. Georg, I'm fine, but.. That was Rolf!"

Georg was just as surprised as Maria was, but he quickly realized that they had to go. "Maria, come on! The Nazis have boarded the ship! We have to go!" They ran as fast as they could to the stateroom. Once there, Georg knocked quietly on the door and muttered, "Children, open the door." There was no response. "Open the door". Again, there was only silence. Fearful thoughts infiltrating his mind, Georg cautiously rotated the handle. It turned, and he pushed open the door. The stateroom was completely empty, except for the possessions strewn around the room. The interior looked as though a hurricane had swept through it. All of the children's' belongings were strewn everywhere. With fear coursing through him, Georg called repeatedly for his children to come out. Only silence responded to his calls. He could see clearly that the room was empty. Turning to Maria, he said "They are gone, Maria. The soldiers have taken them."

"They must be here! I know they are!" cried Maria, in disbelief.

Georg was about to speak, when suddenly something caught his eye. "Maria... Look."

Maria stared at the place Georg was pointing, and since she saw nothing, she was about to tell him so, when Marta crawled out from under the bed.

"Mother" asked Marta. "You came back! Is it safe now?"

"No. Not quite. But Marta, where are your siblings?"

Just then, they all appeared from various spots in the room. Maria sighed in relief; her children were all safe. "Thank you, Lord."

"Maria! Children! This ship is no longer safe; the Nazis have boarded. We must find away to escape." commanded Georg.

"But how? How can we, Georg?" asked Maria.

For the first time, Georg was unable to come up with an answer. He simply stared at Maria, lost for words, while he tried to think of what they could do. Finally, he had to give up and say"Maria, I... I do not know."

At that moment, the door flew open, and ten Nazis crowded in, all pointing their guns at the family. The von Trapps were trapped. Then, one of the soldiers stepped forward. "Baron Georg von Trapp."

Georg willingly approached his enemies without hesitating at all.

"Georg, no!" protested Maria, catching him on the arm.

Turning towards her, he smiled reassuringly and said, "Everything will be all right, Maria. There is nothing to worry about." He squeezed her hand gently, and addressed the soldier, announcing, "I am Baron Georg von Trapp. What is it that you want with me?"

"You are under arrest; you are to come with us to Austria now." replied the soldier.

"I will go with you if you let my family go."

"It is you that we want. We have no use for them. Come with us now."

"Georg, what are you doing? Why are you letting them take you?" asked Maria.

"I will not let you or the children become captured needlessly. Goodbye, Maria. If our God allows it, we will see each other again someday." With that, Georg allowed the Nazis to lead him away, leaving his family staring, completely stunned.

Maria watched her husband being taken away, thinking that she would never see him again as long as she was on this earth. Later, she would say that even though the

case had appeared hopeless at the time, her God had not given up on her or her family. Of course, then, everything seemed lost. Georg had been led away to die, leaving her and the children completely and utterly alone.

"Mother? Where has Father been taken?" asked Marta, tugging on Maria's sleeve.

"Father has gone away with some friends, but we will see him again soon." replied Maria, unable to bear telling her that Georg would probably be killed. "We will see him again, children. Do not worry." In her mind, Maria repeated those words. She prayed that she would indeed see him again. "God, please be with him, and keep him safe. Let him return to us, if You will it."

A distance away from the ship that his family was on, Georg was standing handcuffed on another ship that belonged to the Nazis. They were intensely interrogating him about a number of things. No matter what they asked him, Georg maintained his composure. Whenever they asked him a question that could potentially endanger his family, he would keep a stoic silence and refuse to say a word. Instead of putting himself first, he willingly let himself become endangered so as to protect his family. Their safety was more important to him than was his own life. The interrogation proceeded on, with Georg still not answering the questions. Finally, one of the questioners, who had tired of Georg's stubborness, raised his gun and clubbed Georg into insensitivity. His last thought before blackness clouded his mind was of his family. He then fell senseless to the ground.

Reviewer Responses:

Shannah: Actually I don't plan to have Gretl return…. Yes, I know, I am the meanest person in the world. But I have something else planned that should make up for her tragic demise. Thanks for sticking with me, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Cirean: Thanks for your understanding and for your positive comments. Things have begun to pick up for me, and my mindset is much more cheerful. Thank you! Enjoy this chapter also.

Eowyn: Thank you! And I am planning on giving Georg and Maria a little "gift" of sorts. Enjoy this chapter!


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